SUBDIVISIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17349, 14 May 1924, Page 12

SUBDIVISIONS.

UNIFORM CONDITIONS 1 PROPOSED. ] A conference of representatives of j ; local bodies uas lieid m tlic City Conn- | oil Chamber Inst night to consider j adopting a uniform system of laying j out streets, rounding corners, obtaining reserves where land is subdivided. I and making other conditions on subdivisions. The following delegates attended:- Messrs A. M'Kcllar (Deputy. Mayor), H T. Armstrong, M.P.. and W. H. tVinsor. City Council: Messrs .7. Gamble (Mayor) and F. I>. Muirson. New Brighton Borough Council ; Messrs A. 1). Ford (Mayor) and H (Vise. Bincarton Borough Council : Messes TV. H. Nicholson (Mayor) and H- W. Harris, Sumner Borough Council ; Messrs AY. V\ . Scarff and H. Rileys Heath cote County ( ouncil ; Messrs A. Freeman and G. Macguinncss, Papnrua. County Council. ATr M’Kcllar j was appointed chairman. r rhe chairman submitted a list of conditions imposed by the City Council in the city. In reply to Mr Gamble, bo said that most of them were embodied in by-laws and were in force. The items were discussed separately, and the chairman said that any decisions com© to bv the conference would he submitted to the local bodies, which, if they felt it wise to do so. could pass by-laws as suggested, or urge alterations in the Municipal Corporations MINIMUM FRONTAGE. The first item was a proposal to pass a by-law providing for a minimum frontage of 33 feet in all subdivisions Several delegates said that a minimum frontage of S 3 feet was t-oo small. Air "Winsor moved that the minimum frontage ishould be 44 feet, hill sections to bo excluded. The chairman, in reply to Air Freeman, said that ‘it was intended to apply the condition to only future subTh© motion was seconded and carried MINIMUM AREA. Air Ford moved that the minimum area into which subdivisions could be cut should be *2O porches. Air Nicholson seconded the motion. Air Freeman said that as the con- j ference had decided on a minimum j

frontage of 44 feet, the minimum area should be 24 perches. That course would he more-consistent than making the minimum area 20 peaches. It was agreed to Recommend a mini- ■ mum area of 24 perches. FIVE PER CENT FOR RESERVE. The chairman said that it was a con- j dition in the city that where an area of three acrtes or more was cut up, O I per cent of the area must be dedicated ■ for a reserve. The council arranged with the owner where the reserve should ho. I Mr Ford said that, rather than take ( 5 per cent of an area subdivided, the local body should take 5 per cent of i the value in money and place it in a , fund to huv a really good reserve, perhaps in some other part of the district. , Mr Freeman paid that he supported Mr Ford’s view. It would be better to have th* money and invest it. The chairman: Personally. I think it- is a most iniquitous condition, i Mr Armstrong; It has not been unworkable. Many of the 5 per cent areas the city has obtained have proved very acceptable. Eighths of an acre can bo turned into beauty spots anywhere. The chairryian: Jt is very unfair. A man who subdivides has to provide for the roads and street widening. He ! had to giro up several of his sections 1o the community. Mr Harris said that he did not agree with Mr Armstrong Jt. was absurd to take 5 per cent of an area of three acres simply because it was subdivided. A man who loaded an area already had given a. fair piece of land to the community. Mr AYinsor said that Mr Harris’s argument was fallacious. An owner who roaded did not give much to the community. A motion hv Mr Ford and seconded by Mr Nicholson, was carried, that the local bodies should he recommended to try to have the Municipal Corporations Act altered to enable a local body to lew on five per cent of the value, instead of live per cent of the area, of an area of three acres or more subdivided. Mr Harris moved that in the opinion of the conference the minimum area to which the provision : applied shouM be five acres, instead of three a res, as at present. Mr Nicholson seconded the motion. Air Armstrong said that if the motion was carried the whole principle would be struck out of the Municipal Cm porn lions Act. as tlm Government, would say that local bodies themselves were opposed to it. Air Harris said that a lady owned several acres nt Pa.ps.nni and she cliT not hold the area for speculative pur poses, and did not intend to subdivide. Her rates then were comparatively low. The area was taken into the city, and the. \mtes she had to par now compelled her to subdivide and sell. Tr that case, the taking of five per cont of the land was unjust. In most ce-'os it was reasonable. Air Nicholson : Tt’s the principle T ol'-'-'f't to : there’s no .principle in it. The motion was lost, on the voices. no ENDING THE CORNERS.

Mr Ford mm :d that !f a vm-ner lot “'35 inr-lwled in a SilhdlviSifllL the rarucr mu<L be rounded to :1 I'm-Hus of

eighteen fort, and the land in that piece | dedicated to street purpose* Mr Harris seconded the motion. The chairman said that it would be tetter to leave tho corners on the | kerbs square as in that case they would not l»e an inducement to motor. Uts to increase their speed Going , around corners. Mr Winsor said that it would he awkward to hare rounded corners on shop sites. The motion was carried. ■WIDE OR NARROW FOOTPATHS? The chairman said that tho City Council provided for footpaths ten feet, wide in the inner area and eighteen feet in the outer area. Mr Winsor said that eighteen feet footpaths were a mistake. It cost the City Council tliou sain da of pounds to cut. the grass and attend to the tree*, on them. As chairman of the Works Committee, lie Would like to see trees or. streets in the city wiped out. Every street iu the city was adequately provided with foliage and verdure on tho private properties in it. Trees on streets wore a nuisance. They had to he lopped just when they became most beautiful. There w as a greater tendency to plant trees where there were wide footpaths than where there were narMr Nicholson said that with eighteen feet footpaths, a large part of the u«e of the road was lost. Air Scarff said that he was satisfied with many streets around Christchurch where the footpaths were wide and tho reads narrow. He would like to sec the eighteen feet footpaths adhered to. Sixteen feet footpaths in Cashmore were very good. Mr Harris said that, a width of ten feet was quite sufficient. Air Gamble said that New Brighton had some eighteen feet footpaths but had cone hark to ten feet, and. he thought, would keep to that width. A motion was passed in faVour of ter feet footpaths. COST OF ROADMAKING. The chairman brought up the cost of roadmaking, which, he said, was excessive. .Mr Winsor said that there was no doubt about it As the surface water flowed away slowly in ChristoKui eh, it was impossible to put in the same ! kind of channelling as was used in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin ; there was not a quick get-away in Christchurch. There should be- in Christchurch and tho suburbs an underi ground water-tunnel. with sumps. I That could not be done until the local

bodies went in for an up-to—date road~ ing system, cmu‘re‘oe. or Intumen, ur tarred macadam. Tax-red macadam, with a. good coat of tar, would be -chcaper, and. probably, woulfl serve the plig'pose best If it was done. properly.

I'he chairman said that in the London ‘'Spectator” he had read that in an American municipality a levy of one cent per gallon on petrol and one dollar per horse-power on vehicles was made, and almost sufficient was obtained to pay interest, sinking fund and repairs in connection with concrete bitumen roads. There was no rate for them ; the money came out of the traffic. No motion was passed on that subject. MISCELLANEOUS. It was agreed that new blind streets should be prohibited, that new streets 'must be formed and metalled, and channelling and asphalting provided, to the satisfaction of the municipal surveyor, and tliat in new streets waterpipes and sewers must be provided if those services are available. The chairman said that the inter change of ideas in a conference of that character was very helpful and valuaable. The conference, generally, was of one mind. Mr Nicholson : I. am glad to attend if only to have an opportunity t.o pretest against that iniquitous clause providing for a five per cent levy on subdivided land A vote of thanks was passed to the City Council for calling the conference.